Abstract

The exploitation status of cardinalfish (Epigonus crassicaudus) yielded in Chile between 33° to 41°S was analyzed. An indirect assessment was performed between 1997 and 2003 through size-structured model with a transition matrix defining the changes among sizes. The model was calibrated using size structures, official landings, catch-per-unit of effort (CPUE) taken from commercial fishing logbooks and standardized by generalized linear models (GLM). After 7 years of an intense fishery activity, we concluded that the cardinalfish resource in Chile is on the recruitment overfishing limit. On 2003, the spawning biomass with respect to the virginal spawning biomass is close to 40%. The biological references points (BRP) based on spawning per recruit biomass (SPR) support this assesment because the fishing mortality level on 2003 (Fact) was very close to fishing mortality level of 40% of SRP at virginal value (F40%).